yoga

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Yoga with a Purpose

Yoga with a Purpose

Word is getting out.  People are beginning to live their yoga beyond the mat.  Yogis are giving of themselves to make this world a better place.  And they are doing it by doing what they love – yoga.

Here is an example, of a really cool project, which I will be supporting  by donating the proceeds from all of my classes on Thursday May 6th.  I hope you will also join me in supporting:

2nd Annual Yoga with a Purpose Benefit Week

May 2-9, 2010

Last year almost 50 studios around the United States joined together to support the African Village Survival Initiative (AVSI). AVSI is a program created by the African-led Uhuru Movement for community-based economic self-reliance. The African Village Survival Initiative (AVSI) is working to equip the Uhuru House, in St Petersburg, FL with a recording studio, and a commercial kitchen for community based economic development projects.

AVSI Uhuru House projects are designed to support the  African community in addressing and resolving the critical issues that confront them by uniting Africans together all over this country and the world for self-determination.

This program addresses a critical need both here and abroad – African peoples must gain sustainability and economic independence.  The building of community kitchens and sound production studios in Florida and on the African continent is a clearly achievable and reproducible goal.  The need is clear – more than 50% of the African population here in the US lives below the poverty line and on the continent it is way worse.  Building commercial kitchens and sound production studios will enable the African communities to engage in economic activities which will allow them to become self reliant (recordings, meals, restaurants, bakeries, etc).

This is not a project that is limited to persons of African descent.  It is a project that begs all of us to attend.  To quote a favorite musician “If one of us is chained, none of us are free.”  Years of slavery and economic and social abuse have unfortunately marginalized the African community.  No longer can we keep our eyes closed and our hearts barred.  Here is a chance to make a difference.

If you live in the Seattle area, come and take one of my classes at Urban Oasis on May 6th.  All proceeds from those classes will be donated to Yoga with a Purpose.  The monies then will be used to support AVSI.   If you are a teacher/studio owner – sign up to donate your classes.   It’s a win-win: You get great yoga, and you get to support a good project at the same time.

Take a moment to check out how many studios across the country are already signed up to do this.  Pretty cool, huh? I loved looking through the list and seeing all those studios across the US contributing classes.  Makes me want to visit those studios when I visit those towns.



THANK YOU!

A partial list of contributing studios

Laughter Yoga with Purvi Jani
285/287 Newton Ave, Oakland
pveggielady@yahoo.com

Hawthorne Yoga
1241 Carpenter St
Philadelphia, PA 19147
www.hawthorneyoga.com

O15 Workout – High Intensity 15 Minute Workout
201 S. Camac Street, 2nd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19107
www.o15workout.com

Khalsa Healing Arts Center
Meditation Class – Mahan Rishi Singh Khalsa
301 Oxford Valley Rd Suite 1504
Yardley, PA 19067
www.meditationpathways.com
events@khalsahealingarts.com

Hawthorne Yoga
1241 Carpenter St
Philadelphia, PA 19147
www.hawthorneyoga.com

SANKHYA YOGA SCHOOL & WELLNESS CENTER
1206 North 5th Street, Studio C
Northern Liberties
Philadelphia, PA 19122
www.sankhyayoga.com

DiBella Yoga Studio
Depot Shoppes
31 Plank Avenue #304
Paoli, PA 19301
www.dibellayoga.com

Dhyana Yoga Rittenhouse
1611 Walnut St, 4th Floor
215 222-YOGA (9642)
www.dhyana-yoga.com

Evolution Physical Therapy & Yoga
20 Kilburn Street
Burlington, Vermont 05401
evolutionvt.com

The Awareness Center at Fit
62 Rockford Road
Wilmington, DE 19806
www.awarenesscenterde.com

Saraswati River Yoga – Denyse
408 York Rd, suite 2
New Hope, PA 18938
www.saraswatiriveryoga.com

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center
1200 Arguello Blvd in the Inner Sunset neighborhood in San Francisco.
www.sfyoga.com

Dhyana Yoga Rittenhouse
1611 Walnut St, 4th Floor
www.dhyana-yoga.com

PRANA MANDIR Yoga Studio
4 West 43rd Street – Suite 501
NY, NY 10036
www.pranamandir.com

Vallejo Yoga in the heart of downtown Vallejo, CA
www.vallejoyoga.com

Studio 34
4522 Baltimore Avenue in West Philly
www.studio34yoga.com

Dhyana Yoga West Philly
3945 Chestnut St.,
2nd fl in the HUB
215 222-YOGA (9642)
www.dhyana-yoga.com

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Living Yoga – Living Green

Happy Earth Day

Living Yoga – Living Green

Once again it is Earth Day.  Do any of you remember when we first started celebrating Earth Day?  It was such a big deal – tree plantings, school activities, huge community wide events.  Now, it seems as though we have gotten habituated to the idea.  I mean I have to actually look for events and celebrations.  Where are the big banners and posters for local get-involved events?

And then I remembered one of the primary principles of our yoga practice.  The first of Patanjali’s yamas is Ahimsa – roughly translated to “do no harm.”  On the mat, we take this to mean that we respect our bodies and we don’t push beyond our limits.  But what does it mean beyond the mat?  Well the first step is to treat all beings, including ourselves with compassion and respect.  Avoid those harmful words, thoughts and actions.   Practice Kindness and compassion in all you do.

And from here, “being/living green” is a logical extension of Ahimsa.  If we are to avoid harmful actions to all beings everywhere, wouldn’t that also include our own lovely planet?  Practicing beyond the mat when it comes to the earth means living Ahimsa and treating the earth in ways that nourish her and don’t hurt or  deplete her fine resources.  There are so many simple steps we can take to support  our earth, and as a result support and nourish ourselves.  I offer just a few here, and welcome your suggestions to expand this list for all of us.

Walk gently and leave no tread

  • Take a hike or walk.  Enjoy the great outdoors and when you see any litter, pick it up and put it in the trash/recycling.  I admit I carry an extra bag for the litter on my walks.  I even get in the deep knee bends picking all that stuff up.
  • Avoid using bottled water – those plastic water bottles are filling up our landfills and most often the water is no different from that which comes out of your tap.  Check out this great video to learn more.
  • Reduce your energetic footprint – turn out the lights, turn down the heat, turn off your computer when you are not using it.
  • Reduce your gas consumption, drive less, walk/bike more, ride with a friend.
  • Save a tree – bring your own bags to the grocery store.
  • Recycle – see if you can make your recycle bin fuller than your garbage bin.
  • Clean green – most household cleaning projects can be done with some combination of vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice and water, and a bit of elbow grease.  Think of it this way – less toxins down the drain and a cleaner healthier home for you.
  • Use less water – I know here in Seattle it is hard to imagine a water shortage, but the less we use here, the more there is for others in greater need elsewhere.
  • Eat local & organic –the food won’t have to travel so far, the energy footprint will be less, and the food will be fresher and better for you, and you will be supporting your local farmer.
  • Use a yoga mat made of sustainable products – I love my Jade Harmony mat.

There are so many more things we can do to practice Ahimsa beyond the mat.  Adding just one of the things to your daily practice will not only benefit the planet, but it will also deepen your yoga practice.

Shalom & Namaste,

Diana Bonyhadi

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Beer, Compassion & Inversions

Have you made your weekend plans?  If not, here are a few things you can add to your schedule.  Some are very yogic, and some are not so yogic. I hear that there is a good chance it will be sunny this weekend, so regardless of how many things you plan to do, make sure that one of them involves playing outside.

Shalom & Namaste,

Diana Bonyhadi


Friday & Saturday:

Hopscotch Seattle, Fremont

Okay, this is for you if you think that an evening tasting premier beer, scotch and tequila sounds like a night of fun.  Think Octoberfest, only with more variety.  I think it is even being organized by the same folks, and the proceeds will benefit the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF). This unique tasting experience will feature over 80 beers, wines and spirits and allows guests to interact with beverage experts to discover their true palette during the two-day event.

Saturday:

Compassionate Seattle, Center for Spiritual Living, Seattle

Come celebrate and participate in the creation of a new Charter of compassion for Seattle.  It’s true, there is not another city willing to sign an official Charter of Compassion, a public declaration of our commitment to not only live and breathe compassion, but to also conduct the business of our city with a heart of compassion.

This will be a fantastic day – great music, great teachers, great community.

Sunday:

Get Ready, Get Set, Go Upside Down – An Inversions Workshop 1:30 – 4:00pm

I will be teaching this class at Urban Oasis, East Lake Sammamish Blvd, Issaquah, WA

6 months yoga experience required – that and a great attitude, cause we are going to have a lot of fun learning how to do head stands, hand stands and forearm balances.  After this class, you will never be afraid to go upside down again.  Advanced variations will also be explored, just in case you have got your handstand down and you want to see where else you can take it.  Contact Urban Oasis to save your space.

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Compassionate Seattle

Compassionate Seattle

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra 1.33:

Maitri karuna mudita upekshanam sukha duhkha punya apunya vishayanam bhavanatah chitta prasadanam.

By cultivating attitudes of friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and equanimity toward the non virtuous, the mind maintains its attitude undisturbed calmness.

In this Sutra, Patanjali reminds us that our practice of yoga is indeed a practice of living and acting from the heart of compassion.  Whatever we do on the mat to bring health and clarity to body, must also be an integral part of how we live beyond the mat.  Balancing love, happiness, pain, virtuousness and equanimity in all that we do, will bring greater calmness and peace to our hearts and our communities.

You could say it started when His Holiness the Dali Lama came to Seattle in April of 2008 for the Seeds of Compassion Conference.  During that historic week people from all over the Pacific Northwest and beyond came together to envision a world of compassion.  And what a fantastic week it was.  I had the privilege of being involved in many aspects of the event and was touched at the deepest levels by the heart and vision of our community.

But in reality, Seeds of Compassion wouldn’t have happened here, if the spirit of compassion was not already alive and vibrant within our community.  People from all walks of life, have been working together behind the scenes for years, living and sharing the spirit of compassion.  And that is why, Seattle is about to become the first city in the US and perhaps the world to have an official Charter of Compassion.  Living, educating and working from a place of compassion will now be officially incorporated into almost every aspect of our city’s vision and plan.

So, how can you get involved?  Be part of the official celebration and launch of Compassionate Seattle, April 2010 – http://my.compassionateactionnetwork.com/profiles/blogs/compassionate-seattle-its-up

Date: April 24th 9am – 8pm
Main Event: 9am – 5pm: Compassion Showcase and Exchange
Evening Celebration and Performance: 5- 8pm
Location: Center for Spiritual Living, 5801 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, Washington 98105
Tickets: Available through Brown Paper Tickets and can be purchased for the entire day/evening (9am – 8pm) or just for the evening celebration (5pm – 8pm). Lunch can also be purchased in advance (or bring your own.)

Shalom & Namaste,

Diana Bonyhadi

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Routine as the Touchstone to Deepening your Practice

Home again from vacation.  The bags are unpacked, the laundry clean and put away, meals planned for the week, and all of us have returned to the routine of school and work.

Routine which may become monotonous, does provide a stable ground upon which to rest.  We know what is expected of us, and how best to manage our strength and energies within it.  Routine, which can sometimes lead to boredom, also provides an opportunity for renewal and deeper introspection.

Take for example the sun salutations.  We know the routine:

  • Tadasana
  • Utanasana
  • Adho Mukha Svanasana
  • Plank
  • Bhujhangasana/Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
  • Utanasana
  • Tadasana

As we breath and move from asana to asana we gain strength and clarity.  Each asana is a meditation in and of itself.  And yet each asana leads to the next asana, deepening the meditation.  As the flow becomes more and more familiar, we begin to deepen our practice and our understanding of ourselves.

Sure, there is room for boredom.  All the room your are willing to allow yourself.  As soon as you mentally jump ship (so to speak) the asanas no longer provide the foundation for the meditation, and become no more than an aerobic exercise.   The true gift of the sun salutation lies in its ability to link our breath, movement and mind into a heart opening practice.  One in which we put aside all of our “to-do” lists, and allow ourselves to experience a greater sense of well-being and connectedness.

And there is great room for enhancement and variation.  All the other asanas can be incorporated into the sun salutations.  Routine becomes enhanced, and yet grounded in a deeper practice.

So, as we return again to the routine of daily living, I find myself embracing my sun salutation practice as a touchstone for renewal and re-entry.  May it be so for you as well.

Shalom & Namaste,

Diana

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Vacation – Being present in the rush to go

Vacation – that long awaited break from the routine.  Ahhhh.  You make the reservations, contact your friends and count the days. And then, there is that last minute scury to get out the door.  Clean, pack, dash off the last few emails and pay a couple of bills, take out the last load of laundry and stuff it in your bag.  And whoosh, you’re gone.

But the real question seems to me to be:  How do we preserve and integrate the best of vacation mentality into our daily lives?  How do we prevent ourselves from getting so revved up in the preparations, that we find ourselves at the departure gate stressed out and burned out?  How do we stayed focused and clear and present, even if there is something really amazing that is on the horizon?

Because that’s the thing, isn’t it?  It is up to all of us to find and embrace that vacation mentality in each and every moment of every day.  This is the teaching that every wisdom teacher has given us.

  • Be Present
  • Be Here Now
  • Grace is Yours
  • Breath in this Moment

And it is only through our presence that peace will come to us.  If I spend all my time getting ready to go, then I will miss what is beautiful in this moment.  If while I am on vacation, I am thinking and getting ready to go back to my daily life, then I will miss my vacation.

So, here I go, off to practice being present.  And to enjoy time spend with good friends I haven’t seen in a very long time.  And to find a couple of cool studios in which to practice.

Namaste

P.S.  If I am in adhomukhasvanasna and I am thinking ahead to bhujhangaasna, then am I really in adhomukhasvanasana?

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Spring Cleaning

Yesterday was a perfect Spring day. It was sunny, the skies were a soft light blue, and  it was almost warm.  I had time to spend with friends.  I got to work in the garden and I got to go romp in the woods on  my mountain bike with my son and husband.  What could be better?

And today, the first official day of Spring, the weather has turned gray and rainy.  Oh well, that’s okay, because it is a good reminder that it takes our bodies a while to adjust to the change in seasons.  In the winter we create insulation within our bodies, our pace slows and and our perspective turns inward.  As we move into Springtime, we need to begin a slow process of cleansing and opening ourselves to the brighter, longer and warmer days.  Slowly we deepen our yoga practice. Add more inversions to help clean out that winter gunk (sometimes sinus stuff).  Turn up the volume and intensity on our asanas, to create more heat within to help cleanse the toxins from our organs. You might even find yourself craving backbends, which are excellent for heart opening, literally an opening up to the sun and Spring.  And as for food, again, if you listen you will notice that your tastes are changing.  Lighter soups, fresh salads with arugula, teas with lemongrass and chamomile, such different desires than a month ago.  This is your body’s natural way of transitioning from winter to spring.

What I have been talking about here, is the body’s natural inclination to stay in harmony with the Seasons.  Yoga is one limb of the ancient healing arts of Ayurveda.  Ayurvedic Medicine helps us to understand the fundamental elements and energies within us, and how we can create optimal health for ourselves, through diet, yoga, meditation and other practices.   Yoga Journal recently published a fantastic introductory  article explaining the relationship between our doschas. the weaather and your yoga practice.  Check it out: http://www.yogajournal.com/health/1721.

So, enjoy your first days of Spring.  Honor your desire to go outside and play.  Amp up your practice and create inner warmth to start flushing out that winter sludge.  Begin transitioning your diet to lighter fare.  And, recognize that the urge to clean your house of accumulated junk, is also a manifestation of your natural rhythms and your body’s need to bring itself into harmony with the season.  But remember, you don’t have to do it all at once.

Happy Spring!

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My Mind is in a Fog

Ever notice that some days, your brain just feels foggy?  Like you have a plugged up nose for a brain?  Today is one of those for me.  I know what I have to do to clear it.  Get moving, do my practice, do some meditation.  And yet, there is something sort of luxurious about being in the mist.  You know it will clear, but the blurred lines make the world seem a bit softer.  I am reminded of that famous poem by Emily Dickinson.  Who wants to add that quote as a comment?

Music Update:  April 16 at 8:00pm – Shakti West

Steven Gold is coming to Seattle to do a celebratory Kirtan.  This is going to be a magical evening.  Your heart will sing and your body will move.  I can’t wait.  Need more encouragement, go to his website and download some music.


Classes yesterday were wonderful.  The students fill the space with such spirit.  Thank you yogis and yoginis.
I think the fog is clearing, both literally and figuratively.  The sun is beginning to shine through, and the world beckons.
Shalom & Namaste
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Workshop This Sunday

Please don’t forget to sign up for the 3rd in the 10 for 2010 Workshop Series,  Workshops fill quickly and you don’t want to miss out.

Sunday, March 21, 1:30 – 4:00

Understanding the Beauty & Strength of the Sagital Standing Poses

Urban Oasis, Issaquah, WA

This two and a half hour workshop will provide an in-depth exploration of these significant poses found in almost every yoga class.  Injury prevention and individual modifications will be an important aspect of the workshop. A pranayama and mediation practice are included to further support you in deepening and expanding your yoga practice.

Class size is limited, contact Urban Oasis soon to reserve space for your mat.

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2 Weeks with Anna Forrest

Breathe, Go Deeper, Breathe

I heard Anna Forrest was coming to town.  One of my favorite teachers has been one of Anna’s Teaching Assistants. I have heard about Anna Forrest for years, and have always wanted to study with her.  Not often she comes to Seattle.   I couldn’t miss this opportunity. I got on the phone and signed up.

I signed up for a series of early morning intensives; 6:00am to 9:00am.  That the studio was 45 minutes away, and that I would have to get up at 4:30 every morning to get there, didn’t register at the time I signed up.

Intensive is the perfect word to describe the series.  On my first day, there were over 80 people in the room and the room was at least 80 degrees.  In no time we were all pouring sweat.  We kept working harder and harder, getting ever closer to the core of our beings.  When that first session was over, I truly wondered what I had gotten myself into.  I was exhausted, sore, sweaty, shaking, tired, and I wondered how I would be able to keep this up, in addition to teaching my usual classes and remain a sane parent.

I guess I wasn’t the only one  that felt that they were being pushed to their limits.  The next day at least 15 people had dropped out.  As each day passed, the class size diminished.  It picked up again on the weekends, but never returned to ridiculously filled class of the first day.  Did I mention that our mats were only two inches apart from each other on all sides.  Yesterday was my last class, and I think there were only 35 of us left.

I am so glad that I took the series and stuck it out.  Anna is an amazing teacher.  Now I won’t recommend this series for everyone, but if you are the least bit interested in pushing your practice to the next level, challenging yourself to go deeper and deeper still, then definitely sign up.  But remember to check your ego at the door, take a break when you need one and have a strong foundation and understandings of alignment before you enter.

Anna Forest uses a sweat lodge mentality and Native American traditions to set the space.  She emphasizes Ujjayi breathing , and the breathing  room often sounds like  the wind were blowing through the trees.  Students are asked to set an intention for each class, an intention to bring healing to some part of their body or spirit.  As students move ever deeper in their practice, they are reminded to return to the place that needs healing and breath into it.  The intensity and pacing of the class calls to mind the EST seminars of the 70’s.  No time for a break, no time wipe the sweat from your bod or tears from your eyes,  keep going, dig deeper, release your inner demons.

Eka pada Koundinyasana I - but not me this time

I truly appreciate having had opportunity to study with Anna.  She brings an authenticity and vibrancy to her teaching.  She keeps the students on track and focused.  She is a master at helping people to go the extra step, and master asanas that may not have ever been available to them in the past.  I caught a very cool twisted, extended arm balance (Parsva Eka Pada Koundinyasana I)  and as well as a handstand with splits variation (Eka Pada Vrschikasana).  I loved the focus on breathing, and the heart opening that accompanies it.  I walked away from each session feeling stretched, strengthened and inspired.  And amazingly enough, those 4:30 mornings did not wear me out – in fact I was invigorated.

And for you my favorite students, I realized that  Anna and I share many similar approaches in our teaching methodology.  When she reminded us to set intentions, I thought of you When she reminded us to breathe, I thought of you. I think we both share an understanding of the healing benefits of yoga.  However,w I think we come at it from different places.  Don’t worry, my classes won’t turn into sweat lodges, and I won’t stand you on your head till your ready.  But seeing as this was a teacher training, I may slip one or two new things in for your next class.  Hint, Anna loves core work as much as I do.